


you're my forever, you're my always

by thisapathy



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 15:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14917715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisapathy/pseuds/thisapathy
Summary: Carl sighed softly and sat up next to him. “You’re sick,” he stated. “I told you you’d get sick if you went on that run. It’s too rainy and cold.”





	you're my forever, you're my always

Carl woke when Rick shifted next to him, sitting up and letting out a sneeze. Followed by another, and another. He reached out and settled a hand on his back. “Dad?”

 

“Yeah?” Rick asked in a nasally voice.

 

Carl sighed softly and sat up next to him. “You’re sick,” he stated. “I told you you’d get sick if you went on that run. It’s too rainy and cold.”

 

“’M fine,” Rick protested, shaking his head. “It’s just allergies.”  


“In the middle of winter?” Carl asked, reaching over to light the candle. “Nice try.” Once the room was illuminated in a soft yellow glow, he looked at Rick. He seemed feverish, bags under his eyes, eyes slightly swollen. “You’re sick,” he sighed, reaching to feel his forehead.

 

Rick caught Carl’s hand gently in his own calloused one. “I’m fine,” he repeated, kissing his palm.

 

Carl sighed again. He knew Rick would come home sick, he predicted this. They had argued about it before Rick went on the stupid run. They had enough food for the next few weeks; he hadn’t been sure why Rick wanted to leave him in the first place.

 

“Get in bed,” Carl said, pulling the blanket off. “Lay down.”

 

“Carl—“

 

“No,” Carl said firmly, tugging on his tattered robe and slipping into his equally worn house shoes.

 

Rick groaned and hoisted his legs back up on the bed and Carl covered him with only a sheet.

 

“I’ll be right back,” Carl said softly.

 

“Where are you going?” Rick whined. “Don’t leave…”

 

Carl let out a small chuckle. “I’m going to make you some tea, you big baby.”

 

“Love you,” Rick said weakly.

 

Carl laughed again. “Love you, too. I’ll be right back.” He kissed the top of Rick’s head before going downstairs, using the candlelight to aid him.

 

The house was cold. Despite his socks, the temperature of the wooden floors shocked him as he stepped down to the first floor. He shivered and went into the small kitchen, setting the candle down as he started the camp stove, pouring a minimal amount of water into the kettle.

 

He waited impatiently for it to heat, going to grab a tea bag in the meantime. He got a small spoonful of the last jar of honey, settling it into a chipped coffee mug that had seen better days. Carl reached into the medicine cabinet, grabbing the last pack of Tylenol Cold & Flu, setting it next to Rick’s mug. He was thankful that they hadn’t gotten sick all winter long; their supplies were low aside from the food.

 

 

The sound from the kettle spooked Carl, causing him to jump. He sighed, extinguishing the camp stove and pouring the water over the teabag. He carried the packet of pills in his pocket, carefully taking the candlestick back upstairs.

 

“Here,” he said softly, sighing when he saw Rick sitting up. “I told you to—“

 

“Come here,” Rick said, holding an arm out.

 

Carl walked over, curiosity peaked. He smiled as Rick’s arm slid around his slender hips, head resting against his ribcage. With free hand, he cupped the back of Rick’s head and kissed the top of it. “I love you,” he whispered into Rick’s almost salt-and-pepper curls. And it doesn’t matter how many times they said it; truth was, any time could be the last in a world like theirs.  

 

“I love you,” Rick retorted, kissing Carl’s sunken chest and bringing his other arm around his waist, embracing him completely. “Thank you, Carl, for everything. You’re what keeps me goin’, without you I’d be a goner. I’d be one of the dead.”

 

“Stop,” Carl said softly, stroking Rick’s hair softly. “Stop,” he whispered.

 

“I’m serious,” Rick said, pulling back then. His clear blue eyes seemed paler now that they were accompanied by the heavy red-purple bags beneath them. “Without you I’d be nothing.”

 

Carl gave him a small trying-not-to-cry smile as tears pooled in his eyes, threatening to spill over. “Dad,” he whispered. But Rick just hugged him again, and Carl held his head against his chest until Rick pulled away, reaching for the tea.

 

“Got you the last of the Tylenol,” Carl said, sitting next to him and opening the pills. He placed them in the dirty, calloused palm of Rick’s hand. Rick must have felt pretty bad; he didn’t even hesitate, didn’t try to say they needed to save the pills for when someone was really sick. He simply tossed them back and washed them down with the hot tea before settling back in bed.

 

Carl extinguished the candle and set it on the dresser, jumping slightly as he heard the floorboard squeak outside the door. He looked up, seeing Judith’s tiny silhouette in the doorway and let out a slow breath. The t-shirt she wore was one of Carl’s old ones and it fell to her ankles. He smiled as he saw her, held his arms out for her and kissed her head when she came to him. He lifted her onto the bed easily, letting her settle in next to him. Rick was already sleeping soundly again beside him. Carl listened to the winter wind howling outside the window, listened to Rick’s deep breaths and ran his fingers through Judith’s blond curls. Not long after, he fell asleep next to the two most important people in his world.


End file.
